Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis spoke by telephone today for 30 minutes with Japan's Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, to discuss North Korea's November 28th launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Both condemned the launch and were strongly aligned on security issues with a keen, shared recognition of the danger associated with North Korea's reckless, outlaw behavior, which is contrary to United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Both countries are united in their approach to defending their populations and maintaining peace and stability in the Pacific. Secretary Mattis also reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to the Alliance, and that the United States remains vigilant in providing Japan extended deterrence with the full range of U.S. capabilities.

Secretary Mattis and Minister Onodera concluded by agreeing that North Korea's ongoing aggressive actions make all the more clear the need for multilateral security cooperation in order to address this growing threat and to maintain stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region.